


After Death

by Bluephantom



Category: Death Note
Genre: Brotherhood, M/M, Original Character(s), Paranormal, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-03
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2017-12-25 12:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/953031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluephantom/pseuds/Bluephantom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One strange mourner sits and stays at Light Yagami's funeral. The human guests who see him have absolutely no idea who he is, and the paranormal guests do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Strange Mourners

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my internet friend on Tumblr, Fayetteblu, whom officially got me into the ship of Light Yagami and L.

     Light Yagami’s funeral was normal enough, perhaps more normal then it should have been. All the right people cried, his Mother, his sister, his lovely girlfriend. The people whom knew him and his family stood by and gave their condolences, the people whom did not merely gave condolences. Flowers, incense, the picture-all was as the usual, laid out for the tragic end, the end of a young life that could have been longer. The one oddity to this otherwise normal funeral was the oddity that could not be seen by the human onlookers. However, the only visual oddity for the human guests was the person in the back wearing black and not speaking to anyone. No one could see his face, yet the way he sat reminded some of an less recently deceased person. He sat in the back away from everyone, some even claimed to hear muffled tears from him.

       In the world of paranormality, Light Yagami was an odd but heard of before case. A human whom had got hands on the Death Note of a Shinigami and tried to change the world in their favor. Many Shinigami and a few other odds came. One of them being Ryuk, who’d put an end to Light Yagami as completion for his time with the Death Note. The one thing Ryuk wasn’t expecting was to see this person, now a thing, again. The only mourner whom could have be seen with human eyes, one whom sat completely concealed with black clothing. “ Well, I’ll be damned.” Said Ryuk with a slight laugh, “ how’d you find your way back to the living? You are a really interesting one!” He laughed, “ but now, seriously, how’d you find your way?” The strange mourner shook his head. Ryuk surveyed the room, looking for a reason why he wouldn’t answer and then remembered the strange mourner could be seen by the humans. “ Oh! Right, sorry. Well, it’s nice to see you again, L. And, considering your current state and what you felt before, Light isn’t embalmed. His Mother requested it as well as a speedy burial, she's lost a lot.” L, the strange mourner, perked up when Ryuk said this. Ryuk laughed and went back to the group of conversing Shinigami, whom had also made the funeral more comparable to an unseen party. L was disgusted to see the Shinigami making a party out of Light’s funeral. How dare they, how dare Ryuk. Slightly angered at Ryuk and a plan in his mind growing due to his information, L went up to the coffin and knelt by the body. He touched the cold hand of Light, biting his lip to fight the tears.

       Misa Amane was dead set on being the last mourner to leave, but her dreams were crushed by Mrs. Yagami, whom insisted she come back to the house to sit in mourning. The woman’s sad, depressed and tear-stained face almost matched Misa’s. Misa gave into the woman, and they left to the black car together, leaving the strange mourner. _I wonder who he is._ Misa thought, _could he possibly desecrate Light’s grave?_ She burst into tears at the thought, watching as the mourner disappeared in the rear-view mirror.

       L took off the head wrapping and knelt into the dirt. He softly began to dig, the hole becoming bigger and bigger by the seconds. His vampire strength and speed helped him; eventually the coffin was exposed. No one saw this because of the seclusion of the grave, and L was able to pry off the lid, exposing Light with little noise. “ Light.” L said mournfully, and he laid next to him in the coffin, prying down the collar of his suit. He bit Light, Light’s blood filling his mouth and tongue. He drank it all, and then cut his finger on the ragged edge of the coffin, putting his finger in Light’s mouth. The blood oozed down Light’s throat, and L took his hand back and wiped the wound. Then he picked up Light, dragging him near a mausoleum. L opened it the door and dragged him in, then closed it and laid on one of the coffins. He was exhausted, even for a vampire. There was a knock on the mausoleum. L opened the door to see Adrian, the vampire whom had bit him in a time seemed like long ago. He looked at Light, and back at L. “ Okay.” Said Adrian with a shrug.

“ Really?” L said, “ we have enough room in the penthouse.”

“ It’s just good to have you back, L, no matter who you bring with you.” Adrian hugged L. “ That’s why I brought you back. When I heard you’d died. I just couldn’t stand losing you, as sappy as that sounds.”

“ I know.” Said L, returning the hug.

“ One day I’m going to be a detective like you.” Adrian said with a smile. He was shorter and younger than L, and L was like his older brother. True, now Adrian, L, and now Light would never age past the age they were now, but Adrian still had many ambitions for his age of 15. “ I missed you so much when you left Wammy.”

“ It wasn’t the same without you, little guy.” Said L, looking over to Light.

“ That’s your boyfriend, right?” Said Adrian, and L nodded. “ Cool." Adrian took a deep breath before confirming the worst, what he had suspected from L's former descriptions of Light. " He’s the Kira, isn't he?”

“ Yes, unfortunately.” Said L, and Adrian went back a little.

“ How could you possibly forgive the bastard?” Adrian said, “ he killed you, dammit! He almost made me live without my older bro in the world!”

“ Calm down, Adrian.” Said L, and Adrian hugged him again.

“ I’m just happy I have my bro forever.” Said Adrian, looking at Light. “ Can he even speak English?”

“ A little.” Said L, “ but I’ll teach him.”

“ You had a little accent from being here.” Said Adrian, “ I still can’t believe you dragged me all the way to Japan for Kira!”

“ He’s not that bad, Adrian.” Said L, “ I’m sure he regrets it.”

“ No, he doesn’t! Kira’s a killer! Kira killed my Uncle!” Said Adrian and L was taken aback for Adrian had never told him this. He clenched his fists tight, his fingers digging slightly into his palms, drawing a small amount of blood. “ H-he was writing letters to me, when you were away. He was my only family other than you, L, and I got so sad when you left, I almost wanted to.” Adrian clenched L’s shirt when he hugged him again, not finishing the sentence. “ And then he died of a heart attack, and Kira-it was Kira! He’d reformed, the psych said he was almost ready to go! My Uncle said he might take me out of Wammy so we could live together!” Adrian shook his head, crying over L’s shoulder. “ I don’t care what he did. Kira killed him, they said it and said it. Light killed my Uncle. But, I will try to put that aside for you because you’re my brother.” Adrian might not have been L’s brother by blood, but he treated him as such, and became almost to the point of forgetting they weren’t blood brothers. And, usually, Adrian didn’t like reminding himself that they weren’t, especially at that moment.

“ I’m exhausted.” Said L, “ and we seeing as we can’t bring Light back to the hotel, why don’t we stay here for the night. I’m going to take a cat nap on this coffin.” L laid down on the coffin, and Adrian sat on the floor.

“ Hey L-” When he looked up L was already asleep. Adrian drifted into his thoughts.

         Adrian was 4 when he met L at Wammy. The memory was fuzzy, but L said ever since Adrian could walk he was following him around. Adrian remembered playing blocks with L. It was a tradition at Wammy that the younger children would bond with ones significantly older. Usually, the younger children made relationships with each other after branching away from the older child. However, with L and Adrian that wasn’t the case. Adrian was smart for his age, smarter than the other children, and he related with L more. With the other children in his age group isolating him due to his smartness, Adrian just stayed with L. L didn’t mind this, and Adrian stayed with L for copious times of the day. Adrian also adapted to L’s friends, though most of the times he ignored their very existence. Adrian remember their names and faces though. He remembered L spending large amounts of time with Near and Mello, who were older than Adrian. Near liked him, and Adrian liked Near (he even had a crush on Near once) but Near always came 1st to L. Adrian didn't care, older brothers could have friends, even though the friends came before the brother, which he believed himself to be. He also knew that at least 3 of L's friends had died either due to Kira. One had A for a name, and Adrian remembering thinking how odd it was to have a letter for a name. When L got the position which Adrian associated with head detective, L became and idol as were his sucessors. But it was always clear in Adrian's mind that they couldn't have felt L as important as he did. His thoughts were broken when he looked over to Light. _I know._ Adrian thought, _I could kill him by collapsing the roof of this place and saying it was structure._ He scoffed, and sighed. _But L has probably made sure this place is safe and he wouldn’t believe me. Dammit! Why does he have to love you so much, Light Yagami?! You might hurt him or kill him! Why does he have faith in you, dammit? Why can’t he just be happy with his little brother for once?! Is, is he even proud of how I turned out?_ Adrian wept bitterly. _I was a vampire too, and L didn’t care. He didn't care even when all that bad stuff happened. He always supported me and never got angry at me. Am I that bad he needs to surround himself with other people? Does he hate me?_ Adrian went over to Light and slapped him across the face. Adrian could already sense it, Light was going to be up by the time L was in the morning. _Maybe I could kill him if he wakes up before L!_ Adrian smiled madly, but scoffed at himself again. _L will still know, L always knows me._ Adrian looked at Light. _I hope that hurts when you wake up._ Adrian went back to L’s side. _I’ll have to stand you for him. I will protect him and if you hurt him I will make sure I get a damn good exorcist on your ass._ Adrian calmed when he saw L asleep. L didn’t sleep a lot which was really evident, but seeing L asleep calmed Adrian a little bit. _You’ll always be my big bro even if you really hate me. I’m sure you don’t-you never acted like you did._ Adrian smiled, _I would’ve stopped hanging out with you if you hated me. I could tell, even if you are you._

      Adrian decided to walk outside to clear his head, and found a girl, gapping at Light Yagami’s grave. She looked up, and he revealed his true vampire form. She screamed something in Japanese, and ran off. When she was gone, Adrian snickered. She would be confused because she had Shinigami eyes, Adrian could sense them. Shinigami eyes wouldn’t show her his name because he was a vampire. He walked over to Light Yagami’s grave and looking to see the girl had fallen into the grave after he'd chased her around. She was yelling something in Japanese and trying to climb her way out. “ Your either some goth or a relation of Light’s.”

“ _Raito?”_ She said, knowing the name.

“ Yeah.” Adrian said, and she screamed more. Adrian hopped into the hole with the girl and hypnotized her to fall asleep. It wouldn’t affect her in any way, shape, or form. Adrian got out of the hole and threw a flower in. “ Night, night.” He said to the girl and went back into the mausoleum, awaiting the dawn.

     When L woke up Adrian sat near him, and he knew Light was almost ready to wake up. “ Are you honestly ready to meet Kira?” He asked Adrian, whom nodded gently. “ You still don’t seem sure, but under the circumstances.”

“ I’m sure.” Said Adrian, “ I can forgive him for you, L, and no one else.”

“ Okay.” Said L, and Light woke up.


	2. The Death Note

    “ So what your saying, is the rules of the Death Note to not comply to vampires.” Said Light, smiling. “ If I get back the Death Note from Ryuk, I CAN be the Kira FOR ETERNITY.”

“ Yes.” Said L plainly, “ but I wouldn’t suggest it; the power has already more than gotten you your head.”

“ L died because of it.” Adrian said even though Light couldn’t understand him because Adrian spoke English and very limited Japanese. “ Don’t you realize that? Why? WHY? You’re a vampire you can kill as many people as you fucking want and no one will notice!” Adrian’s heart pounded, and L glared at him.

“ Don’t swear, it’s unbecoming and it gets you nowhere. Besides, it’s disrespectful.” Said L, “ you never had that habit when I left.”

“ Don’t blame my Uncle especially when fucking Kira is right in front of me.” Adrian said, shooting a dark glance at Light. It was obvious to Light that Adrian had something against him, and he would need to resolve that if his plot to get the Death Note back was going to be valid.

“ What is he saying, L?” Said Light, and Adrian squinted at him.

“ What’s he saying, L?” Said Adrian, and L’s eyes turned to a direction off to the side.

“ Light,” L began in Japanese, “ Adrian hates Kira because Kira killed his jailed Uncle. The only reason he’s putting up with you is for me because I’m like his older brother. So yes, Adrian knows you are Kira. But Kira is not the Light Yagami I knew, the Light Yagami that I knew was as intelligent as I was. Or, perhaps that was a façade, wasn‘t it Light? You‘ve been lying to me all this time and yet I have forgiven you because I love you. Perhaps I am a fool, and you need to prove me wrong because you‘re just starting out as a vampire, easy to kill. And Adrian would gladly do that, he wanted to last night before you were even awake, yet he didn‘t again because of me. If Adrian can stop the part of him from killing you I‘m sure you can stop the Kira side of you, no matter how much you‘ve gone under.”

“ You are wrong, L. Light Yagami is Kira, and I am Light Yagami.” Said Light, “ there is no in-between. There is not getting out of it, even for you. I will punish the criminals of this world whether they have family or not.” He looked at Adrian, whom was staring at the both of them.

“ Let me kill him.” Adrian whispered to L, “ let me end it before it has begun.”

“ I can’t let you, Adrian.” L said in English to him, “ I couldn’t let you before. Light will not be Kira, even if I have to rip Ryuk’s Death Note to shreds.”

“ He’ll always be Kira!” Adrian yelled, his voice echoing in the vault of the mausoleum. “ He will always be a killer!”

      Adrian sat angrily in the hotel room, fidgeting, writhing. L and Light had their own room together, and so he sat alone. Someone tapped his shoulder and he saw the Shinigami, Ryuk. “ You summoned me?” Said Ryuk, and Adrian nodded.

“ Give me your Death Note.” Said Adrian, “ Light will steal it from you and he’ll be Kira forever.”

“ It doesn’t matter if it’s my Death Note, he could steal any Shinigami’s Death Note.” Said Ryuk, and Adrian curled up in his chair like L.

“ Yes, I know.” Said Adrian, “ but he’ll go after your’s first. I’m making this so it’ll be harder to find another Death Note in Japan and probably America. It might prolong this, and that’s what I want.”

“ You know the rules for a vampire and the Death Note, right?” Said Ryuk, and Adrian nodded. “ Sorry kid, I still can’t give my Death Note to you.”

“ Why did you even come then?!” Said Adrian, “ God, this is pointless. You can leave now just stay away from Light Yagami no matter what, okay?”

“ I was already planning on it.” Said Ryuk, looking to a side. “ They have their own room together?” Adrian nodded darkly, and Ryuk shot him a glare. “ You are a lot like L, you know that?” Adrian nodded.

“ I try my best.” Said Adrian, “ L is my only role model and family figure sense Kira killed my mortal Uncle.” Adrian looked around, “ you're not going to give up your Death Note and I respect that. However at least let me borrow it because I’ll hide it and you’ll be safe from Light.”

“ For how long?” Ryuk said, and Adrian shrugged.

“ Just until this entire Kira thing wastes a way.”

“ That’ll be a long time.”

“ Yes, but do you really want him to steal it?” Said Adrian, “ then you’ll never get the Death Note back, ever.”

“ You have a point, little vampire.” Said Ryuk, and Adrian rolled his eyes to the side, then straightened, no longer sitting like L.

“ Jokes on my height are so OLD.” Said Adrian, “ look, I hate Yagami, trust me. I won’t let him even touch it.”

“ You’ll use it for feeding purposes, that’ll look suspicious. A fat vampire and a whole bunch of dead people, the odds.” Said Ryuk, actually starting to consider going along with Adrian’s plan.

“ No, I like the thrill of the hunt.” Said Adrian, “ even though the possibility of killing Kira via vampire attack is gone, I’m still a monster and now so is he. That is why I should hide the Death Note. I won't kill anyone.”

“ Hm, this might be interesting, but dangerous.” Said Ryuk, “ eh, what the hell.” He gave the Death Note to Adrian.

“ Now get the hell out of here before Light Yagami senses you.”

          “ I know I feel him.” Said Light, turning to L. “ L-" Light looked down to indicate a tinge of guilt even though he didn't feel guilt at all.

“ I feel him too.” He looked up at Light and said surprisingly calm, “ Oh my God, Adrian.” The both of them got up for different reasons. For Light it was Ryuk, he needed him and his Death Note. There was something inside him that could not give it up, being Kira had become almost a drug for Light, a drug no rehab could fix. L was going for Adrian. Even if he hated Light, Adrian was still like his little brother. L couldn’t forget his eyes turning back to blue, the small scared little boy clinging to him as everyone rushed angrily towards him. L hadn’t known what that was for, but Adrian was so scared. He could never forget that memory, the night Adrian had drank blood from a living person for the first time. He couldn’t let people hurt Adrian like that again, they’d almost killed him. L and Light quickly ran into Adrian’s room to see him sitting in a chair.

“ Oh, hello.” Said Adrian addressing L in English.

“ Where’s the Shinigami?!” Light’s eyes showed pure madness as he charged towards Adrian before L caught him.

“ Run Adrian!” L said, “ run!”

“ I’m not leaving you with this monster!” Adrian exclaimed, and L’s grip loosened on Light, whom charged at Adrian, whom jumped out of the chair and into the high corner between the wall and the ceiling.

“ STOP!” L yelled, a fragile gesture, but it was all he could manage when seeing his world so new falling apart at the still binding seams. He couldn’t choose between Light and Adrian, he loved them both. He should have known it wouldn’t work. Light got the gesture to stop the fighting, and looked at L's eyes. Adrian looked at the exchange between the two, not getting out from the corner.

“ Fine, Ryuzaki, for you but I will find the Death Note.” Said Light, and Adrian looked at L. L looked back at him to see that scared look in Adrian’s eyes, the look he hated.

“ Fine, maybe you will, but until then can you two at least try to get along!” L said first in Japanese and then in English.

“ Wh-What’s he saying?”

“ You hate him and you can’t even understand what he’s saying. I thought I raised you better, now get off of the wall.” Said L forcefully, and Adrian did as he was told.

“ The Shinigami is gone.” Said Adrian in the Japanese Ryuk had told him to say to Light.

“ We should leave soon.” Said L, looking out of the window. “ Our plane leaves in 3 hours and it takes an hour to get to the airport.”

“ Agreed.” Said Adrian quickly changing pace, “ so uh-”

L began to explain the plan to Light in Japanese, and Adrian wondered exactly how deeply L was upset at him.

     Light looked around at all of the people on the jet. L, whom sat next to him, sat in his usual style as soon as he sat. “ I missed you.” L said, “ despite the fact you killed me. Yet, I can understand why.”

“ Good.” Light said, “ there were many things left unsaid between us, L.”

“ I couldn’t agree more.” Said L, “ but we established that at the hotel, didn’t we?”

“ Indeed.” Said Light, “ I remember now how much I really did miss you in the back of my mind.” L looked out the window as the flight attendant began giving out generalized directions. “ Why did you never come back to the Kira case?”

“ Adrian convinced me not too.” Said L, “ him and his boyfriend.”

“ Adrian has a boyfriend?” Light asked and L nodded.

“ His name is Rowan.” Said L, “ named after a tree.”

“ Okay then.” Said Light, “ you must have had him stay at the house when you two left for Tokyo.”

“ Yes.” Said L, “ our house was also getting a little messy, and Rowan always picks it up.”

“ So, you left him for house-cleaning purposes?”

“ That and after all of this I think seeing Rowan would be the best thing for Adrian when he got home. I suggest you leave them alone unless you want the both of them to kill you.” L said, looking out of the window.

“ Alright L.” Said Light, “ so basically I have to stay around you.”

“ Yes.” Said L, “ you do.”

“ Alright.” Said Light, looking out the window again. The flight was in the air now.

“ Rowan is a vampire I suppose.”

“ He is.” Said L with a nod. “ Him and Adrian have been dating for 4 years now. They both can’t chronologically age past 15 just like you won’t pass the age you are now and neither will I.”

“ This is their first year being 15?”

“ No, all natural born vampires choose the age at which they wish to be frozen, and they both decided to stop at 15.” Said L, “ Rowan has never ceased to stop making Adrian feel better about things. Sometimes Rowan wouldn’t even tell me what Adrian was feeling bad about, and I think it was about me leaving and Kira now that I know what happened. You killed his Uncle, Light. That was Adrian’s only family, and he had so much hope that he would be taken out of Wammy and given to his Uncle.”

“ He has you, L.” Said Light, “ why would he need his Uncle?”

“ Perhaps he thought that when I came back from the Kira case his Uncle would take me too.” Said L, “ or I’d properly prepared Adrian for my death.”

     New York City was certainly different from Tokyo. Light looked around the city as they walked to Adrian’s penthouse. When they walked into the building, a woman had thrown a computer out of a window, nearly missing Light. Adrian wished it hadn’t missed of course, and he also wished the cheating husband didn’t ask him to apologize to Light, thinking that Adrian spoke Japanese. L had, of course, known this would happen between the couple. The wife’s patience had run dry finally after 3 years, and this was a release. L silently cheered her on, the husband annoyed him. Always going to the wrong door, wondering when you would go outside to see sunlight or outside in general, blah, blah, blah. He followed Adrian up the stairs, and into the penthouse.

     Rowan was looking out the window at the Mrs., well, now Ms. Jensen’s rampage. She threw her husband’s things out the window, making a mess of the fire escape and the street below. He closed the window and turned to L, Adrian, and the Kira, Light Yagami. He could tell Adrian was upset and he would have to smooth this. “ Hello, Mr. Yagami.” Even in his slight anger, Rowan was polite, using his best Japanese.

“ Hello, Rowan.” Said Light, bowing back. He realized that Rowan was British due to the accent. Rowan took Adrian’s hand and lead him into Adrian’s bedroom, locking the door behind him. He sat on the bed next to Adrian, and automatically the tears flew out. He leaned onto Rowan, and Rowan held him as he cried about Light being Kira. Rowan had no idea what to say, but he hugged him tight, looking down at his suit case. He felt death.

    “ You were given Ryuk’s Death Note to hide.” Said Rowan and Adrian nodded into his embrace. Adrian gently got out of Rowan’s embrace, his hand still on Rowan’s chest. He got out the Death Note, and put it on his lap. Then he lifted Rowan’s shirt and tucked the Death Note in slightly, then tucked Rowan’s shirt in. Rowan’s shirt was baggy, so nothing could notice the Death Note below it whatsoever.

“ Perfect.” Adrian said, hugging Rowan again. “ Now I can enjoy your presence. Light Yagami is new to being a vampire; his senses are still developing. With the strong sense of vampire, it will mask the Death Note, so he won’t feel it. Then I want you to put it in that secret safe your Mom has. You know, the one with the enchanted metal so-”

“ No vampire, demon, nothing can sense it.” Said Rowan, “ that’s one of the reason’s I love you, your so smart sometimes.” He kissed Adrian softly, and Adrian wrapped his arms around him again, hugging him softly.

“ Be safe, okay? Don’t let him talk to you.” Said Adrian, “ I have faith.” he let go, and Rowan walked out.

     Rowan displayed no nervousness in the face of Light Yagami as he bid him goodbye in Japanese. He nodded to L and left, as soon as he got out of the penthouse running down and then at the exit calmly walking towards his car. He got off and drove away, the Death Note safe as well as Adrian’s plan.


	3. " And that's the end of that."

      L ordered pizza for dinner, watching the bout of rage from the angered wife below until it ended. The police oddly arrived the same time as the pizza man, which made the dinner come later than usual. L’s personal meal was a cannoli, but the pizza was for both Light and Adrian.

      Light and Adrian ate on different sides of the pizza. Light on the right and Adrian on the left, but L had purposely ordered the pizza to be cut unevenly. Both allured by the scent and lured into eating it, both hands grabbed the last slice unknowingly. The two looked up at each other, and their eyes met. “My country, my pizza.” Said Adrian, then remembered yet again Light didn’t know much English. Light, seeing Adrian was not going to eat the piece was going to let him have it; before he let go Adrian unhanded it. “But the fact Kira touched it sickens me beyond words.” Light shrugged and ate the last piece, L staring at them. L was frustrated even though he did not show it.

 

        Rowan got home to his Mother having a headache. She had a hang over due to wild parties she’d gone too, so when Rowan came home, he turned on the lights to find her passed out on the couch. Even though many things were wrong with his Mother, he loved her. Rowan quietly draped a blanket over her, and turned off the lights again. Then he descended down his dark staircase and into the den.

     The den showed signs of a party. Solo cups on the floor-some still with unknown liquid substances in them-random objects that didn’t belong to him or his Mother, papers with barely readable phone numbers. And the smell, oh, the smell. He nearly gagged, and quickly Febreezed the area. L and Adrian’s apartment was a cinch compared to some messes Rowan had cleaned during his Mother’s current state. Yet, he needed to hide the Death Note first. He took it from under his shirt, and moved the painting on the wall, which was a code. He typed it in and then what looked like a normal heating and cooling vent below the photograph opened up. Rowan knelt down and put the Death Note into the slot, and closed the fake vent. He then placed the painting back in place and begun his work of cleaning his entire house, hoping no one had gone into his room.

 

    Adrian lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Adrian?” L’s voice was quiet, and Adrian looked over to the door. Not a lock system in the world could keep out L or Adrian for that matter.

     “Come in.” L came in, and closed the door behind him. “You’re pretty upset, huh?”

“Why couldn’t you leave him dead, L? Why’d you have to do this to me?” Adrian said, “am I not good enough anymore that you have to surround yourself with people like him? You have no idea, L, absolutely none.” He turned away from L. “I might stay at Rowan’s house. Forever, or in other words, until Kira is dead.” Adrian turned away from L on the bed, where L sat, close to him.

“Adrian…” L said, “it’s not because I hate you that I begun to love Light. I began to love him just like you began to love Rowan, abruptly, no way to stop it just like a hurtling comet, plummeting towards our atmosphere.”

“ And you can’t stop it unless you blow it up.” Said Adrian, turning to L, “death is the missile that blows it up, right? But the comet was put back together. Why, L, why did you put the comet back together? It’s hit the surface now, L, it's smashed things to dust. Why would you expect me to be okay with this?”

“ I didn’t know, Adrian.” Said L, “if you’d told me about your Uncle earlier and showed me the pain your in now…maybe things would be different.”

“You like to see me in pain, don’t you? You left me alone, alone at Wammy’s House only to turn to an Uncle who was probably better off dead anyways! I talked to him because I needed to know someone cared, I needed someone to care about me, and he did. Then he was gone, L, gone forever because of Kira! I was always depressed when you left L, and then you were never coming back. I’m not like Near, Mello, anyone! I‘m a monster and I was treated like one! You were the ONLY one there who cared about me! I was better off dead once you were too. That’s why I went, L, to a country I barely knew, a country of complete strangers and no idea of the language. And I dug that damn coffin out of the ground and I am proud of what I did.” Adrian’s voice went soprano with tears. “And this is what happens. You bring back the person who killed the only other person then you that cared about me, and made him immortal. You’ll never understand, L, ever.”

“ Maybe I never will.” L said, “I just hope you can forgive me, I'm still not good with feelings.”

“What an honor it is, truly,” Adrian turned back to L and sat up, hugging him, “to be the one thing the best detective in the world can never comprehend.” L hugged Adrian back, and Adrian closed his eyes, enjoying L’s hug. “I missed your hugs.”

     Light sat in a chair in L’s room, beginning the English training course set up on the computer. It was the only file he could access, so he had at it. Light was fluent in English by the time he was done. Now it was certain that Adrian hated him, and now he knew why. He went out of the bedroom, looking around for Adrian.

     The words in English slipped off Light Yagami’s tongue, which completed Adrian’s worse nightmare. With him speaking English, there was more of a chance he‘d want to stay instead of going back to Japan, even though with all hope Adrian knew that had still been a long-shot. He stared at L as he left his room, noticing Light was staring at him. Adrian glared back at him, now wanting to be alone. He turned away from the both of him, biting the inside of his mouth to keep from breathing heavily as tears slipped from his eyes. When his door closed, he took out his phone and softly began to dial Rowan. Maybe he could stay with him for a few days.

   “He’ll never forgive you, so whatever Kira plan your thinking it’s not going to work.” Said L, “and besides, there’s a one in a million chance that you’ll ever find the Death Note again.”

“I will never give up being Kira.”

“There is no such thing as a perfect society, Light.” Said L, “our very existence makes it imperfect, Light. You‘ll never rid the world of evil, evil has always been here.”

“How would you know? People will fear Kira enough to never commit crimes.”

“ Yes, Light, but what will you punish people for, exactly? Criminals and the un-just, so when once all of them are gone, who will you punish? Will you punish and punish until everyone is killed for committing even the smallest of crimes? Everyone commits crime in his or her life, Light. There is no such thing as a perfect world.”

“ There can be if society just learns it.” Said Light, “no one will commit even petty crimes if they are taught.”

“And what of us, Light?” L said, “we are evil. Are you intending to kill your own kind, vampires, and leave yourself the only one? You’ve already murdered your own kind once.”

“ It wasn’t murder.” Said Light, “it was improving this world.”

“Oh, Light. You’ll understand once you get your first blood meal in you.” Said L, “I’m hoping that will clear this up.” A door opened and Adrian walked out, wearing a dark hoodie that covered his face. “Where are you going, Adrian?”

“Out.” Adrian said, “don’t look for me.”

“If that’s the way you want it.”

“No, L, nothing is the way that I want it to be.” Said Adrian, walking out and slammed the door behind him.

     “Yes, he’ll never get used to you.” Said L, “him getting never getting used to you is about a 92% chance.”

“But 92% is better than nothing.”

“I might be sugar-coating it.” Said L, getting up. “I would always have him fetch food for me, but…he might be gone for a while. However, I do believe he can bear with this, even if he can’t get over it. Do you get what I’m saying, Light?”

“ Yes.” Said Light, “and I’ll get food for you. Where is it?”

“ The bottom cabinet on the right. Adrian likes to limit my eating so he has a padlock. The combination is 562.”

“Okay.” Light went to the cabinet with the light blue pad lock and put in the code that L had said, and the lock opened. Light opened the large cabinet that had a surplus amount of sweets. “What do you want, L?”

“Chocolate Pocky please.” Said L, and Light took out a box, closed the cabinet, and locked it once again, then gave the box of Pocky to L, whom began to eat them one by one. Light sat in a chair close to him, and looked out the window at the city streets below, all of the people milling about to unknown destinations, not knowing that at that moment Kira was looking down at them.

 

 _Light Yagami Light Yagami Light Yagami Light Yagami…._ Adrian wrote the name of Kira over and over in the Death Note, crying, his tears falling onto the pages. He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie while Rowan watched him, near tears to see Adrian so broken down. Adrian had demanded to make this action, and Rowan hadn’t denied it to him. After a few futile hours of comforting, this was Rowan’s last attempt. It did not calm Adrian in the slightest. That was when Rowan’s Mother, hung-over, came down the stairs. “ You poor baby.” She said, and went over to Adrian, hugging him. Once she let go and walked in zigzags back to the staircase and up it, Adrian continued to write the name.

     Ryuk stood in the corner of the basement, looking at Adrian from afar. Because the name he was writing in the Death Note was as invalid as a fake name, the Death Note was not in Adrian’s ownership. However, it was still a name, so Ryuk still came. Rowan looked to see Ryuk in the corner, and nodded to him knowingly. “ Hello, Shinigami.” Said Rowan, “ here to make my boyfriend feel any worse?” Adrian stifled his tears and turned around.

“ Ryuk.” He said, and Ryuk straightened.

“ Whoa there, someone’s bent out of shape.” Ryuk approached Adrian and gave him a pat on the back. Ryuk looked down and saw that he’d filled an entire page with the name _Light Yagami._ “ You know that won’t work right?”

“ I do.” Said Adrian with a nod. “ I want to just scream until my lungs are raw, but I figured this would be a better alternative. I still feel like screaming.”

“ I knew vampires were all secretly emo.” Said Ryuk, and Rowan moaned.

“ Why are you here? Do you want the Death Note back?” Said Rowan, “ god damn just take the fucking thing already! I’ve had enough with this shit!”

“ You’re just angry because it’s hurting your lovely boyfriend.” Said Ryuk, looking at Rowan.

“ Gee, how’d you know? The fact that my boyfriend is having a nervous breakdown or the fact that I’m sitting here, hoping he’ll just be okay?! I love him, I want him to be happy and Light fucking Yagami!” Said Rowan, and Ryuk shrugged.

“ What can I say, kiddo, you happened to get a high-maintenance boyfriend.” Said Ryuk, and Adrian bared his teeth at Ryuk.

“ I’m not high-maintenance!”

“ Kid, calm down.”

“ I’m not going to calm down!” Adrian threw the Death Note at Ryuk, who took it and disappeared. Adrian ran to Rowan, cuddling him as soon as he sat down. Adrian didn’t cry this time, and clenched his eyes close tightly, trying to drown out the world. He cleared his mind and opened his eyes, kissing Rowan. “ Thank you, for simply being here. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

“ You’re still like that, on the inside.” Said Rowan, kissing him back. Adrian held him closer, beginning to drown out the thoughts of what awaited him at his own home with Rowan.

       L wondered where Adrian had gone, and sat at the kitchen table, looking at the clock in the darkness. Light sat across from him, staring at L. The seconds ticked pass in the darkened kitchen, the both of them awaiting Adrian’s return like parents awaiting their child’s return home from a date. “ Light, there is no chance you will ever find the Death Note.”

“ When I think about it, it may be.”

“ Really?”

“ No.”

“ You’re so cruel sometimes.”

“ Let’s face it, L.” Said Light, getting up from the table, “ he’s not coming home for a while.” Light brushed his hand on the table as he walked off, and L did not say a word.

     “ I’m sorry, Adrian, that I love him.” L said into the darkness. “ I never meant to hurt you, you’re still my brother. Please come home.” Though his sincerity was true, no one was around to hear it. So L sighed and continued to sit in the silence, eventually getting bored. He tapped his fingers on the table, staring at the seconds hand on the clock. Eventually he gave up, getting up from the chair and trudging into the bedroom, only to find Light asleep. “So I guess it’s just me and my feelings.” L said to the sleeping Light, sitting in a chair again. That was when he heard the front door open and close. Hopeful, he went to the door to see indeed that Adrian had returned.

    Fighting the urge to hug him, L noticed Adrian’s hair was wet. "I took a shower at Rowan’s.” Adrian said, sitting back down on the couch, “Oh? I can tell you didn’t like me leaving. Well ha-ha, this is my house and I can do whatever the hell I want too.” L sat next to Adrian and knowing Adrian could never stand silent treatment, remained silent. “No, I’m not giving in this time.” Adrian crossed his arms in a very child-like gesture. “No.” His face dropped, as did his arms. “L, say something.” He looked over at him honestly. “I’m not saying sorry.” Adrian curled up on the couch. “Nope.” He looked at the clock. “It’s too late to deal with this, L.” Adrian took off the hoodie. “FINE. I am sorry, okay?! I should’ve told you about my Uncle but I thought you’d get angry because he was a criminal! Nevertheless, it’s to late now…this is all my fault. I guess I have to live with it now, don’t I?”

“ Yes.” L said, “you do.”

“Fine, then I will.” Adrian said, “I will, and that’s the end of that.”


	4. A New Set of Eyes

      Adrian looked outside of the window into the streets, the people walking below. “Watch, Yagami, you’ll turn into a thing you want to destroy, and that will be payment enough.” Adrian said in the empty room, smiling. He and Rowan had discussed it, and that had fully given him comfort. “You’ll have to face it soon too.” Adrian laughed madly, and then sprawled on the couch; waiting for L. L came in, looking around.

“You seem happy.”

“Wait till Light drinks blood.”

“I’m taking him to do that tomorrow.”

“No, now, L.”

“ Adrian-”

“ NOW.”

“ Fine, if it makes you happy.” L said, and went into the bedroom to get Light. “ Light. It’s time for your first dinner.”

“ What? You mean blood?”

“ Yes.” 

" Of who?”

“ Anyone.”

“ I can’t do that.”

“ You need to in order to live.”

“ No-”

“ Yes, now come on.” L said, grabbing Light by the hand and dragging him down the stairs, then bringing him into the city streets. “ Where are we going?”

“ A club.”

     The club was crowded at that time of night. “ Dance with someone and bring them into an alley.” Said L, and Light look mortified. “ You have to.” L went out onto the floor, into a barrage of drunken women. He began to dance with them, some of them not too pleasant. Jealousy and sudden anger boiled in Light as he saw them and L. He went over to them, and L grabbed him hand, shooting a smile at him before pushing him into a drunken man in the crowd of women. He danced with Light for a while, and they talked. There was nothing strange about him. He was just ordinary man, enjoying his night out. However Light could tell he was a seducer, which was obvious to anyone. L begun to walk out with a giggling woman, and Light went after him, the seducer following. Light lost L in the crowd, and finally followed him outside into an alley.

       Light’s face twisted in mortification when L bit the drunken woman, who fell dead. He realized in frank horror he had to do this to the seducer, and both were too shocked to move. “ I can’t do this.” Light said slipping back into Japanese, “ I can’t do this.”

“ How would it be any different from Naomi Misora? She opposed Kira, yes, she was a rouge, yes, but innocent.” Said L, and Light shook his head. “ Adrian’s uncle. Did he really need to die, Light, think about that.”

“ No….no…no..no.” Said Light, walking to the seducer who staggered back and pulled out a knife. The seducer threw the knife and Light bit his hand. Before Light realized everything, it was too late. The seducer was pale and fell. The taste of blood was indescribable, and Light fell to his knees as the bodies dissolved into dust, blowing away in the wind. L put his hands on Light’s shoulders, thinking of what to do. “ I am a monster.” Light fell face first into the concrete and wept, taking L with him. With quick coordination, L landed right next to him, Light holding him like a scared child and crying into his shoulder.

 

     Adrian chipped at his nails impatiently, eyes opened wide, waiting. He would have looked like a psycho to anyone else, but no one was around but him, or so he thought. On looking from a fire escape across the way was Ryuk, writing names in the Death Note. He was also watching Adrian, whom proved himself worthy of Ryuk’s attention because to Ryuk, he was the biggest entertainment since L and the funeral. Three entertainments under one roof (now that Light would no doubt be more interesting with the fact he was beginning the vampire life fully,) was enough to keep Ryuk in New York.

    By the time L gathered Light in an orderly fashion and brought him back to the apartment, Adrian’s eyes had given out and he’d fallen asleep. L sighed, _no doubt he stayed up to see Light when he got home. Well, nope._ L was more holding Light up at the moment, so he walked the best he could to the bedroom and dropped him on the bed. Light did not get up but stared almost mindlessly at the ceiling. L couldn’t see him like this or let Adrian, so he went out and locked the door behind him. No doubt Adrian would pick the lock and get in to torment Light, but L did what he could do. He went to the coffee pot and began to make some, then went to Adrian, shaking his shoulder. “ What?” Adrian looked from one side to the other and up at L. “ Oh, hey you.” Adrian yawned and sat up, which allowed L space to sit. He took it, and soon Adrian was asleep again on the other side of the couch.

    “ Teenagers.” L said, smiling at Adrian, “ sleepy teenagers.” L knew that Adrian had stayed up all night waiting for him and Light to return mainly to see Light’s reaction. However, at that point, he didn’t want to think about it. _I never fail when planning._ L thought, _my plans have never failed except for this one. It’s a mess. How am I going to fix it?_ L closed his eyes for a few moments, and to his dismay, he fell asleep.

      Adrian awoke and went into L’s bedroom, where Light Yagami looked up at the ceiling, an almost blank look on his face. He also noticed how tired L was, L never slept, and now he was. He realized then that L couldn’t handle Light alone, and no matter how much he hated Light, he would have to work with L for him because L would never give up on Light, ever.

“ Light? Light Yagami?” Adrian said, shaking his shoulder. Light turned, but away from Adrian, still blank as a sheet of paper. The look on his face would have set Adrian at ease, however, the thought of L in pain drowned any other feeling. “ Light-kun, Yagami-san…WHAT THE HELL DO I HAVE TO SAY FOR YOU TO FREAKING SNAP OUT OF THIS?!” Light rocketed up and slapped Adrian across the face. The slap hurt as all did, and he turned to Light, a little awestruck.

“ Swearing at elders is despicable.”

“ You’re not really my elder.” Adrian said, getting up off the floor. “ Well, at least I got you up.” Light rolled his eyes.

“ I wish I never did.” Said Light, honestly and hatefully.

“ Too bad Yagami.” Said Adrian laughing, “ and you’ll have to do that, for the rest of your life, which is ETERNITY. Welcome to hell, Light. Welcome to hell.”

“ Y-Your right…this is worse than death to me...I have become the very thing I wished to destroy.” Said Light, in horror and slight disbelief.

Adrian smiled at seeing the reactions he craved. “ You had it coming, you had it coming..” Adrian sang mockingly with a hint of laughter, “ you only have yourself to blame!”

“ Is that from a musical of some sort?”

“ Yes, it’s called Chicago.”

“ I figured.”

“ You’re catching on.” Adrian nodded, a mad gleam in his eyes. “ Perhaps this won’t be so hard for me after all!”

Light leaned back as L sat up, yawning. He looked up at Light and Adrian, sighing. Then he got up and left the penthouse.

          

          There were few things in life that L could not deal with. He never walked out on things, even the Kira case. However, Light and Adrian had done the impossible; they’d forced him out of the house. He needed to clear his head, and so he walked for a long time on the New York streets, just turning random corners, going straight. For once he didn’t care where he was going, L just kept walking. “ Hey! Child, what are you walking away from?” L turned to face the man. He was in his 50’s, and a gentleman of some sort.

“ Why would I tell you?” L said, thinking of Watari for some odd reason. Watari and the man had nothing alike; for one thing, this man was a lot younger than Watari.

“ Well, I drove for 20 minutes having no idea where I was going and I saw you on the road 5 minutes in. I figured you looked troubled, so you needed to get something off your chest.” Said the man, sitting on a bench. L sat next to him. “ That’s a peculiar way to sit.”

“ Yeah, it must look that way.” L, feeling rather half-hearted, did not bother to tell the stranger why he sat like that. “ You must be sad about something, or else you would have gone into handing me scientific facts about why you sit the way you do.”

“ It’s like you can read my mind.”

“ You’d be surprised.” The man looked at the people walking. “ I have to say I’ve been quite sad myself lately. But, I would like to hear the problems of a young person in this world.”

“ My lover did something to my non-biological brother’s family, and they won’t forgive each other.”

“ Well, L, you’ve seemed to accept the cold truth that they’ll never forgive or regret.” Said the man, looking back to L with his pale eyes that seeped into L’s very being.

“ How did you know my name? You really aren’t a man at all, are you?”

“ I am not, L, and nor are you. You are a vampire, and Kira is your lover…”

“ Please, stop.” Said L, “ wait! No! Continue! I need someone!”

“ I’ve never had someone insist on me reading his or her thoughts before. Tell me, L, if you met someone who you never thought was real, would you believe them?”

“ Well, there are many unbelievable things in this universe, so, what the hell, it can’t make my day any worse.”

“ My name is Erik.”

“ Erik what?”

The man leaned back. “ Perhaps it isn’t such a good idea. Forget about my name, L.”

“ Fine.” L looked at Erik. “ What do you want with me?”

“ Someone to talk too.” Said Erik, “ like the Phantom named Erik, I grow lonely, and my problems grow bigger and bigger.”

“ Okay.” Said L, “ so do mine I guess-of course you must see that.”

Erik nodded, “ If I may offer advice.”

“ Please do.”

“ You need to look at this problem with a fresh set of eyes. You need to look at it as though you were a stranger, then assess the situation. Pretend you do not know Adrian. Pretend that you do not know Light. The pretend you just found out, and work with the problem.”

“ That is pretty good advice, I haven’t tried that.”

“ It will be hard-I suggest you continue to clear your mind for a while.” Said Erik, getting up. “ Good luck, Lawliet.”

“ Thank you Magnus, good luck to you too.” Said L to Erik, whom got into his car and drove away.

“ L!” Adrian ran to him, and gave him a hug. “ I was worried sense you weren’t coming home!”

“ Didn’t stop you a few days ago.”

“ I suppose it didn’t, but you’re L!”

“ And you’re Adrian, a forever teenage vampire. I don’t want you to leave like that, ever again.”

“ Okay, fine. I won’t, just, come home okay?”

“ Fine.” L got up, and he and Adrian walked home.

 

       Light sat on the fire escape, looking down at the city-dwellers below. He saw L coming back with Adrian, Adrian seeming happy at finding L. At this point, Light cared about nothing. There was a gapping, consuming hole that was where Kira had been ripped from his soul. What he had believed was his sole purpose was now destroyed. Light couldn’t help but blame L and himself. If he had never fallen in love with L, made him miss him, this would never had happened. Now that it had, he wished he could just rewind it all. _But I still love L, no matter how much I try not too._ Light reminded himself after he tried to hate L.

 

     “ Why is Light sitting up there? Did you kick him out?” Said L, and Adrian shook his head, smiling and waving at Light.

“ Nope! He went out there himself, and didn’t come back in. I want to close the window before a pigeon flies in or something.” Adrian said as they got closer to the apartment. Light and Adrian decided to take the back door in, which they did, taking the elevator.

     In the elevator, they came face to face with Ana, the housewife who’d been cheated on. “ How are you doing?” Said L, and she nodded.

“ Just fine!” She said, “ the divorce papers are being filled out, and I got the penthouse, so I guess you guys will have to put up with me.”

“ No, to be honest Ana, I like you more than him.” Said L, “ good luck.” The door gave an affirmative beep, and the elevator opened.

“ Thanks.” She said, walking out at a brisk pace.

“ She seems to be feeling better.” Said Adrian, “ just like you and I will be. Just you watch, L, everything’s going to go back to normal.”


	5. Chocolate Chip Cookies

       Ana looked pitifully at the forlorn looking boy who sat on the fire escape. She paused her episode of _Castle,_ and began to make him some chocolate chip cookies _._ Chocolate chip cookies always seemed to help her through rough patches and perhaps a vaguely loving maternal gesture was what this young boy on her fire escape needed. Once she put them in the oven, she sat and finished her episode, then took them out. Once they were cool, Ana put the cookies on a plate and walked out onto the fire escape. Despite her fear of heights, the look of the city below her was beautiful. She walked up to the boy, who turned to see her. “Hello.” He said, his voice sounding as if he’s been broken.

“Uh, hey!” Said Ana, noticing his Japanese accent. “You seemed upset so I baked you cookies.” She handed him the plate, and he took it in his slightly shaky hands. “I live down there so; return it when you’re done, okay?”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He said with a slight bow. She did the same and went back into her apartment, wondering how long it would take him to eat them.

“L.” Light said into the house after eating a few cookies, deciding that he wasn’t hungry. L came to the window, and Light handed him the plate of cookies.

“You should come inside, Light.” Said L, taking a cookie and eating it. “Yum, Ana?”

Light nodded. “She seems like a good neighbor.”

“She is, her husband was a jerk though.” Said L, “ I’m happy he’s gone. She can do a lot better than him, and she deserves it.“

“ I wouldn’t kn-” L Pulled Light through the window and into the house with one hand, then closed the window and locked it.

“ We need to build a new you, Light, one like the old Light but this one doesn’t have Kira in it.”

“ That’s impossible, L.”

“ Hell no it’s not!” L said, “ try to remember what you were before Kira.”

“ A smart student who’s life was going nowhere.”

“ No, Light, your life was heading in some direction. You just can’t remember because Kira washed that smart student out. Better yet, be the person you pretended to be when you were Kira. The more you pretend to be something, the more of it you become.” Light couldn’t think of anything to say. _Perhaps your right, L._ Light thought, _perhaps that’s what I should be. However, I can’t be that. I will always be Kira, and Kira does not like to be crushed._

       There was something about that boy that Ana couldn’t shake. She turned on the TV, and flipped through the channels. With a sigh, she noted they were all in Japanese with subtitles. Her TV company would always get her order mixed with the Japanese couple’s from upstairs. They ordered a special package, and they both ironically had to renew at the same time of the month, so they always were mixed up. She flipped though Japanese channels until she stopped at one. _Sakura TV._ Luckily, English subtitles flowed across the bottom of the screen once she hit buttons on her remote. Her husband had always had a fascination with Kira, and in fact had been one of the people at the rally. She, on the other hand, could actually care less about Kira, not matter how silly that seemed. Kira was a big thing, and she was amazed that she cared less about it. Perhaps it was a manifestation about how much she could care less about her husband, but whatever. That was when she thought about L, Adrian, and their new Japanese living partner. She smiled, turned off the TV, and went to go speak with them.

       The door was opened by Adrian. “ Good morning, Adrian.” She said, “ May I come in?”

“ Sure, Ana.” He said, and she walked in. The apartment was okay. It wasn’t fantastic or out of the ordinary; it was just like any other apartment in New York City.

“ Where L and your tenant?” She asked, sitting on the couch.

“ Uh, doing something.”

“ OH.”

“ Yeah.” Adrian nodded. “ Or at least that’s what I assume. They’re dating, so.”

“ Was it long-distance?”

“ Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

“ Okay.” Said Ana, “ I would think that’s normal, I mean, if they missed each other.”

“ Yeah.” Said Adrian, “ good sound-proofing in this place though, and he never complained about me and Rowan, so.” Adrian shrugged.

“ Rowan, as in the guy who was looking out for this place when you two were in Japan?”

“ Yeah.”

“ Well, on the bright side, there are a few Japanese couples in this building so the English isn’t going to be that much of a problem. They messed up my TV subscription with the people from upstairs’ again.”

“ That sucks.” Said Adrian, “ how’s the split?”

“ Going well. The papers are coming in in a few days.”

“ L hated him, he thinks you can do better.”

“ Aw, what a sweetie. Tell him I said thank you for the encouragement, that’s if I stay here that short of a time.”

“ You can watch TV down here if you want.” Said Adrian, “ we barely use it, except to watch _Game of Thrones_ or _Bates Motel_ , maybe some _Hannibal_ or _Supernatural_. Mostly we channel flip when we are.” He sat next to her and she turned on the TV.

“ I like _Castle, Downton Abbey,_ I like to watch a lot of different TV shows.” Said Ana, “ it helps me to see happy couples. No more Jerry Springer for me.”

“ I would say that’s a good start.” Said Adrian, just as the door to L and Light’s bedroom opened.

       Light stepped out. He was shirtless and wore a pair of brown pants. He closed the door behind him and sensed a human presence, but stepped into the living room anyways.

“ Oh, hello there again!” Said Ana to Light. “ What’s your name by the way.”

“ Light, Light Yagami.” Said Light, and she nodded.

“ You know my name. It’s Ana, Ana Jen-no. It’s Ana Hemmingsworth again.” Said Ana, “ did you enjoy the cookies?”

“ Yes, they were quite delicious.” Said Light, and Ana automatically noticed his formal and serious manner.

“ Glad you enjoyed them.” She said, “ we’re watching TV. Would you and L like too?”

“ Why not? Perhaps I could improve on my English.”

“ You already seem pretty dang good at it to me.”

“ Thank you, Ms. Hemmingsworth.”

“ Your welcome.” Ana said as Light sat next to her.

       L sensed Ana, and came in fully dressed into the room, then sat next to Adrian. “ Hey.” He said as a greeting to her. She nodded, and finally turned on the TV. They all sat quietly, watching the program Ana wanted to watch. The only interruption was Light asking questions about the show during commercial breaks, which Ana gladly answered and Adrian getting up to get L something to eat. Ana liked the company of the three boys, and wondered why she hadn’t talked to them before.

“ How old are you, Mrs. Hemmingsworth?”

“ 31. I got married at 25.” Said Ana, “ worst mistake ever.”

“ You can do a hell of a lot better than your ex.” Said L, and Ana smiled.

“ Aw, you guys are all so nice. I should come down here more often.” Ana said, “ perhaps for some encouragement. I wish I would have talked to you sooner.”

“ It’s not a good idea to throw things out of windows.” Said Light, “ for further reference. It’s not a very good first impression.”

“ Oh! You saw that? Sorry. I was just so angry.”

“ It’s alright.” Said Light, “ you seem to have changed since then.”

“ Yeah,” said L, “ you seem a lot happier.”

“ I am.” Said Ana, “ now, guys, was it hard with the long distance relationship?”

“ Yes, very, very hard.” Said L, “ I’m happy Light’s here.” Adrian shot him a glance. Ana wondered if Adrian hated Light for some reason. Light didn’t seem that bad, other than his serious manner he seemed likeable. She tried to dismiss it, but she couldn’t. Even after she left, she had convinced herself that more was going on between the three than what met the eyes, and to leave it alone and visit less than she had wanted too originally.

          “ Ana usually doesn’t visit us.” L said to Light, “ it’s unlike her, even when her TV is out.”

“ Perhaps it was me.” Said Light, “ I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“ She is right about there being a few Japanese people living in this apartment complex.” Said L, “ the skill of speaking the language has become rather useful.” Light nodded.

“ I think she has a TV addiction.” Said Adrian, “ don’t you? She was glued to that screen before her husband left, perhaps because she wanted to doubt the fact he was cheating. And what does she do when she comes down here? She watches TV with us. I think she’s reforming from it, perhaps it was a crutch for her when she found out all the bad stuff about her husband. After she coped with her husband and got a divorce, she no longer needs the crutch, so she’s breaking away from it.”

“ I was thinking that too.” L said, “ Ana would barely come out of her apartment, and when she did, she ranted about her TV subscription. Indeed she was a TV addict.”

“ She knew ever detail about the show we were watching.” Light noted, “ everything I asked she knew, and more than that. That doesn’t surprise me much.”

      There was another knock on the door. “ She didn’t forget anything here, she didn’t bring anything.” Adrian answered the door.

“ Oh, hey Rowan.” Adrian let his boyfriend in, and he surveyed the area.

“ I sense Ana was here.” Said Rowan, and Adrian nodded.

“ Why are you here?” Light said, and Rowan noted he had learned English. Light surveyed Rowan more carefully. He wore a non-formal button down shirt with jeans. His eyes were green, and his hair was a shade of gray. “ Why would you dye your hair to gray?”

“ I did not dye my hair gray, Yagami-san.” Said Rowan in an icy calm. “ I am over 100,000 years old. I chose a long time ago to stay at this age.”

“ I thought both you and Adrian decided.”

“ No. I convinced him.” Said Rowan, “ I chose to let my hair turn gray.”

“ Oh. Sorry.” Said Light, “ I did not know. I assumed that you were 15.”

“ I only look 15.” Rowan said, “ Adrian’s parents were monster hunters. When they were killed, I was told to make him a vampire. He was almost a year and a half. At 2 or 3 he was put into Wammy.”

“ I see.” Said Light, “ but why would a vampire as old as you care about a vampire like Adrian?”

“ You do not need to know.” Said Rowan, “ either way, I came merely because I wanted too.” Rowan leaned on a wall and closed the door of the apartment. “ So, why was Ana here?”

“ She wanted to watch TV.” Said L, “ why are you interrogating us? It’s unlike you.”

“ Many things have been unlike normal lately.” Said Rowan coldly, “ especially here. My Mother kicked me out.”

“ What is it this time?” L said, “ sit with us. You know you’re always allowed to stay here when you get kicked out.”

“ I don’t even know. She just told me to leave.” Said Rowan, “ knowing her, she’ll call for me to come home. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“ Sounds like you don’t have a stable home life.” Said Light, “ why don’t you live on your own?”

“ Child Services. They forced me to go back with my Mother. She’s around 130,000.” Said Rowan, “ even though I love her, she can be a bitch sometimes. I come here when I get kicked out.”

“ What happened to your Father?” Said Light, “ is he dead?”

“ He is departed, but not dead.” Said Rowan, “ and what of your Father, Yagami-san?”

“ My Father is dead.” Light said, “ he died quite a while ago.”

“ Oh.” Said Rowan, “ a police officer, correct?”

“ How would you know that?”

“ L talks in his sleep. Once he dozed off on the couch. He’s quite fond of you, Yagami-san. I’m not surprised these events took place.” Said Rowan, “ tell me, Yagami-san, now that you are no longer Kira, what shall you do?”

“ I do not know, Rowan.” He said, “ I wish to be Kira again.”

“ I see.” Said Rowan, his icy calm growing colder. “ You can never become Kira again. I will not let it happen.”

“ How will you stop me?” Light said, his gaze growing as cold as Rowan’s.

“ Monster hunters like Adrian’s parents thrive off of tips given directly or given indirectly from monsters. I could tell your name and location to a hypnotized human, and you’ll be dead eventually. I have more powerful connections than you do, and the more influential the person, the more high-grade slayer. Don’t test me.”

“ Rowan, stop it.” L pleaded, and Rowan lost his cold gaze.

“ It was just a warning, nothing to be scared about.” Said Rowan, “ this is the time when habits from past human acts must be broken.”

“ I will never stop being Kira.”

Rowan laughed. “ Oh, I’m sure you never will.” He said sarcastically and mockingly, “ I’m absolutely sure.” Rowan looked off into the kitchen. He lost his former tone. “ On another note, shall I make dinner?”

“ Why not? You’re an excellent cook.” Said L, “ it would be uncharacteristic of you.”

“ Thank you, L. Would you like chocolate chip cookies?”

“ Yes please.”


	6. Gods Do Not....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how long it's been since I updated this! but I suddenly got the urge to work on it again, so more recent chapters will soon follow.

         Rowan moved from the kitchen into the living room again before continuing to cook. He was happy to see that Adrian was not as hurt as he had been when he was first visiting Rowan. Before long, however, Rowan turned to see Adrian leaning on the counter. He smiled at him and continued to cook. “ Really, Rowan and Ana make the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had.” L interjected, turning around on the sofa to face where they stood in the kitchen. “ Rowan’s trump Ana’s by far, perhaps because he’s been making them for over 100s of years.”

“ Are cookies the only thing concerning you, Ryuzaki?” Said Light, but L shook his head.

“ Well, a lot of other things are, but I don’t know how to express them in a way you would understand.” L said, turning his head to look at Light. “Though I'll try my best too. You could become Kira again. In fact, chances of it are 90%.”

“Oh, and how?” Said Light, narrowing his glance. 

“ Come with me.” L got up and Light followed him into the bedroom.

        L closed the door behind him, sat on his bed, and sighed. “ You’re not going to be happy with any other arrangement, Light, I know that. I can already see the early stages of discontent setting in. You cannot be a full-fledged Kira anymore, but I have another way for you to curb that impulse. To get the Light Yagami I knew back, this has to, rather unfortunately, happen." L took a deep breath, his eyes focused on his reflection in the mirror across from him. " You can get your blood source from major criminals. You saw what happened when you bit that man a while back, and you can be a more silent Kira. A silent god, simply to curve your god moded impulses.”

“ And you won’t stop me, Ryuzaki?”

“ No, Light,” L said sadly, “ I cannot.” But Light, being his usual self, turned a blind eye to L’s obvious sadness. He laughed maliciously, and L sighed again.

          “ I suppose dinner will just be between us.” Said Rowan, and Adrian gave a silent nod. “ I really hate this arrangement, Adrian. What died should have stayed dead.” Adrian nodded again. Rowan’s anger swelled, and he sighed and walked around the kitchen angrily, his shoes smacking against the marble tiles. The only other sound was the disembodied hum of the white refrigerator, which somehow numbed the tension in the room. He wasn’t one to show his anger until the point where he was murderous. Finally, he just leaned on the counter next to where Adrian sat. “ Our lives are hitting rock-bottom right about now.” Adrian nodded. “ Could you please respond with words? You know I hate it when you do that.”

“ Okay.” Said Adrian simply before sighing. “ Least I have you, Rowan. I don’t know what I could say to L, even if there was anything that I could do. I guess I just feel sort of hopeless. Light will stay Kira. I knew that ever since I took a small glance at his eyes. If he's going to change, something needs to break him, and he's not an easy guy to break.”

“ I think it’s at a point, Adrian, where we have to just accept it and move forward.” Said Rowan, “ maybe L’s right, maybe he will get better.”

“ It’s a snowball’s chance.” Said Adrian, “ but yeah, your right. Let's just hope something breaks him soon.”

“ Tell me about the day you found out he died.” Said Rowan, trying to get Adrian off of the matter, “ tell me about him.”

“ Well, he would always give me a letter at a certain time of the month.” Adrian began, “ he was really nice in them, he’d tell me deep stuff a lot of the time. Then they were going to let him out for good behavior, and he said he was going to see what he could do to have me live with him. He would tell me about times he spent with my parents and even sent me a few pictures, pictures of when my biological brothers were really little, cute and squishy-faced. He even gave me his motives for committing the crimes he did after a while. They weren’t right, but still. I was the only thing he had to really look forward to. Then, one day, the letters stopped coming. They told me a few days after the fifth missed letter." Adrian's eyes welled with tears. "It made me remember, but I was happy about it. I just thought the letters stopped because he was busy. I was so close to having family again, Rowan, so close.” Adrian sighed, “ but I know L can’t handle Light alone. It wears him down, and even though I hate Light, it only makes it that much harder for L and I.”

“ You shouldn’t have to cope with this, but I can’t stop you.” Said Rowan, patting Adrian on the back. “ And I’ll just have to support you.”

         

         When L awoke from his sleep, there was a smell of cookies in the house and Light was gone. He got up, got dressed and went out. There was a steaming batch of cookies on cookie racks, cooling off. Rowan, presumably the maker of the cookies, had opened a window. At the kitchen table, Rowan and Adrian shared a batch of cookies. L sat in between the two of them at the round table, which was near the bastion that separated the kitchen from the living room. “ Where’s Light?”

“ He left the apartment 20 minutes ago.” Said Rowan, “ what did you tell him? He looked determined to do something.”

“ Nothing.” L lied. Adrian cocked an eyebrow before looking back down at his newspaper, and Rowan turned to look at L.

“ L,” Adrian said. “ What did you say to Light?”

“ Nothing, I just told you.” L said, and Adrian gave a resentful glance. “ Look, Adrian, I might be your older brother-”

“ Not by blood,” Adrian said. “ As I recall, my eldest blood brother committed suicide.” L looked away guiltily, his hands firmly clasping his knees.

“ Your brother could not take the pressure of up keeping cases like me.”

“ We were separated because I was younger, then, after we died, they integrated the older children and younger children,” Adrian said. “ My other older brother had grown apart from me in that time and we drifted away, no matter how much we saw each other in the halls. You and my brothers…you were both my brothers, L, even though I wasn't as close to him as you. I couldn’t lose all of you…” Adrian bit his tongue, tears welling in his eyes. His second biological brother’s death was too new to even talk of, and all that Adrian could think of was regretting never staying in touch with him…

“ Why didn’t you bring them back then,” L said. Adrian shook his head.

“ There are reasonings that I can never explain. As Rowan taught me, there are things that we just can‘t explain, even you L.”

“ Why don’t we stop talking about this,” Rowan offered with a flicker of adoration in his eyes. “ It only hurts both of you after all.”

“ Fine,” Adrian said begrudgingly.

 

          Breaking into the highest guarded prison was only the beginning for Light Yagami, whom was currently masquerading under the name Jin. So far, last names hadn’t been needed, and he was still meditating it. Light had been in a hotel, using one of L’s credit cards to pay for it, and meditating his plot. On a laptop (which he had also took from L upon his departure) he hacked into the prison’s website and looked for points in which it was weak, points at which were easy to utilize, especially if one had a set of vampire capabilities. Light had been familiarizing himself with the powers of a vampire, doing several searches, looking at the powers, and testing them. In a way, he was curious about the phenomena that he now was, though he was more focused on his plot and how to utilize the powers he was acquainting himself with. He found that the guard change at the prison’s west wing took 30 minutes, and he could easily disable the cameras at that time. After the 30 minutes, he should be able to get to the particular prisoner’s cell. A pedophile convicted with his other various crimes as well as 10 murders was Light’s prey, and Light smiled at the prospect of ending him. _The blood to run upon my lips will be the first drops shed to begin again the concept of my new world once again._ He romanticized, _one in which L won’t stop me._ He laughed until stifled by a maid outside. “ Mr. Jin-” she said as she knocked on the door.

“ Yes,” Light said, walking to the door and opening it. “ Come in.” The maid walked in, and Light walked out with the laptop, going downstairs into the lobby where people walked in.

          As he passed them, he squinted closely at them, but unlike with the it had been with the Death Note, it was harder to tell which people did not fit into the beliefs and attitudes that he believed people in his new world should fit. _Why is it hard for me now?_ He wondered, trying to get his mind to focus on the man whom had passed him. His mind refused to focus, his thoughts dulling for a few seconds-he’d also noticed this before but tried not to pay it much attention. Things were wrong. His comprehension had not lowered, but he noticed he would always be forcing himself more to think of plans that would have come easily when he was human. He eyed each of them, wondering about them. _Which one should Kira take out of this world?_ he wondered, smiling at the prospect. A small child looked over at him, looking curiously at the wide grin on Light’s face, wondering what was making him so happy. _The children will learn to respect and adore Kira but fear him as well._ _They will grow up to see the fall of an old world and rise of a new world._ “ Mommy, what’s the man smiling about over there?” The young child said, much oblivious that Light could hear him.

“ Shhh, don’t stare at the strange people Toby.” She said quietly, ushering the child forward as a number was called and she went to verify her reservation at the hotel. Light squinted, _she is one of the people that halts my progress._ He stared more closely at her face, then froze. His hands flinched, then his arms. A throbbing pain hit his head, and he held his stomach which lurked as though trying to break through it and attack. Saliva welled in his mouth and he toppled onto the side of the couch. _Gods…do not…_ it went dark.

       Light woke up where he had collapsed, his mind racing, his eyes scanning the green and gold corduroy print on the couch he‘d fallen onto. As he pushed himself upwards using his weak arms and hands, the print came more into perspective, the gold parts were carefully embroidered fleur-de-lis backed by the green lines that classified the fabric of the couch as corduroy. His eyes darted across it and at his hands as he searched from in answer in his briefly unfocused mind. In that time, blood rushed into his arms again-he’d lost circulation from laying there uninterrupted for so long. The neatly pressed cuffs on his red colored button down shirt had not even creased due to movement. _What happened to me?_ He thought, looking around the lobby. It was dark, thought everything in the lobby seemed acute and well-defined as though it was day. Light studied the lobby, with his focus on the laptop most of the time, he had not noticed how the things in the room had looked. When he had been with L, he noticed how in the dark things were very acute including the figure of L beneath the blankets, though he had believed it had something to due with the lightning outside and how L would place things in his room. _L…_ Light’s mind lingered for a moment on the thought of L, his dark hair soft beneath Light’s fingers, his hands roaming over Light’s spine when they held each other close, always giving Light a small shiver. _I can’t be thinking about this right now-_ L’s dark eyes beseeched him now in his mind, his eyes were so clear despite all of the bags due to lack of sleep… _I need to figure out why._ L’s mouth had opened slightly, his curious glance in this instance vaguely attractive. _“Light-kun.”_ Light gritted his teeth, knowing the words that followed in this memory. _“ Have you ever even loved me?”_ The question had been recently asked, and that was more of what stung Light in that moment. His thoughts seemed to fade again, and he forced himself to begin thinking of his plan, only to have horrible realization. He had forgotten it all.

 

           Adrian was pounding his fists on a punching bag that he kept in his room, his knuckles raw as he continued on, black liquid splattering onto the smooth gray bag that sat on a small filing cabinet to support it in the corner, tucked away near the intersections of the gray painted walls. Rowan sat on his bed, sitting much like L would on a regular basis and gave a sigh. “ Adrian,” he said warily. “ You kicked L out of your room-and pushing him out isn’t going to do anything.”

Adrian paused in his stance, turning slightly towards Rowan, “ well it sure as hell isn’t going to make things any worse.” He turned back towards the bag, “ but Light will.” Adrian slammed his fist into the punching bag, leaving a sizable dent in the wall, cracking off the paint and exposing the insulation.

“ Adrian,” Rowan walked over to him, putting his hands on his shoulders. “ Listen to me,” he looked at the wall around the punching bag. “ You’re hurting yourself. You’re hurting L. And you’re hurting me by hurting yourself.” Rowan lowered his hand and wrapped his arms around Adrian’s stomach, pulling him closer into a tight hug that prevented him from swinging at the bag. Adrian gave a few weakened swings, his arms flailing down to his sides uselessly. “ And goddamn, you’re even hurting the drywall.”

“ I don’t care,” Adrian cried. “ I don’t care…”

“ Somewhere down inside you do,” Rowan said, “and if you didn’t care, it wouldn’t be eating you up like this.”

“ I know,” Adrian was falling over slightly in his arms. “ I know…”

“ You’re just angry,” Rowan said, “ come on-I can tuck you in like a little kid and you can get some rest.”

“ I don’t need rest-”

“ Ohh yes you do,” Rowan picked him up and Adrian emitted a loud squeak as Rowan plopped him down onto the rolled back covers, having him tucked within a blink of his eyes, however, his hands were above the bed, raw, smiting, and oozing with black blood. Rowan looked at them, quickly leaving the room. Somehow, the blanket’s warmth were beginning to give Adrian a hint of comfort…

       The apartment outside of Adrian’s room was completely dark. If Rowan had not sensed L in the living room, he would have surprised by him, because his eyes were wide open and he stared blankly into the distance. Rowan quietly stepped in front of L and snapped his fingers in front of L’s face. L gave no expression or movement, and Rowan emitted a small chuckle. L had fallen asleep with his eyes wide open, probably not even realizing it. “ Better off that way,” Rowan muttered quietly as he walked off quietly into the bathroom. He opened the small medicine cabinet that was visible as soon as one walked in, and grabbed rubbing alcohol and bandages from the neatly packed spaces. He then went back into Adrian’s bedroom, where Adrian’s eyes were half-closed. Rowan grimaced a bit as he opened the bottle, getting scissors from the drawer in Adrian’s bedside table, and cutting a swatch of bandage, then putting some of the rubbing alcohol on it. Adrian flinched and his eyes tore fully open as soon as Rowan touched the swatch to his skin, biting his lip as Rowan continued to tend to his wounds. After that, Rowan wrapped clean bandages around Adrian’s knuckles. Adrian promptly put his hands beneath his bed, shifting over onto his side, a sad look on his face. Rowan closed the bottle, then climbed into the bed, going beneath the warm covers and holding Adrian close to him. Adrian gave a small whimper, and it was apparent he was crying again. Rowan held him closer, giving a few comforting words and stroking Adrian’s red hair.

 

      L awoke when it was day, at the time when the sun newly created fine layer of shadows against nearly everything in the apartment. He uncurled from the position he was sitting in, got up, and stood in front of the window, looking at the city’s buildings and the early morning sky. A thought lulled it’s way into L’s mind, _crimes committed at morning can often be traced to the common belief that mornings are new beginnings. This can often be traced to a deep physiological meaning towards the criminal themselves, especially if they consistently commit crimes in the morning._ He looked around more, _and it leads me to wonder if Light will commit his crime in the morning._

 

     Unlike L’s previous assumptions, Light was not committing his crime in the morning. He was fresh blankets, holding them close and researching the prisons. He had forgotten it all. But how? How had he, in one mere blackout, have forgotten his entire plan and all of it’s detailing? The morning was spent in fear, anguish, and cursing for Light. It had all gone wrong. Gods were not supposed to forget.

But Light Yagami had forgotten.


	7. “ Join me, L.”

        L’s eyes scanned back and forth in the living room, slowly beginning in the corner, traversing his bedroom door, then the TV and its counsel, then to Adrian’s bedroom door. _So, knowing the approximate time for calculation of detailed plans and how long a specific one is in general, correlated by the estimated time for both of these, Light is late to come home. He probably already has New York’s bus, subway, and taxi schedule measured by now and is waiting for the next arrival time for transportation. However, considering my time is only an estimate, there is some room for adjusting in my calculations. Unless, his body is not used to prolonged time betw-_

“ L,” Rowan called from the kitchen, breaking L's focus. “ I made you breakfast!” Rowan smiled at him as he walked into the living room, holding a large slice of chocolate cake with a strawberry on top. 

“ Thank you,” L said, taking the cake and beginning to eat it. Rowan noted his eyes were focused on the blank TV screen, staring intently at it as though the evening news had an interesting and controversial story on.

“ Would you, um, like me to turn it on?” Rowan said, picking up the remote.

“ No, then my focus level would fall 40%.”

“ Alright then, L.”

“ Rowan, could you research the amount of hotels near the prison I write on this paper?”

“ Why can’t you just tell me what it is?”

“ Because once Adrian gets up you’ll forget the name,” L took down a pale blue note card that was lingering on the table near the couch. He wrote down the name of the prison on it with a red pen that was also found on that table, then stuck it on Rowan’s hand. Rowan chuckled, looking down at it and getting up. “Where’s your laptop?”

“ Light took it when he left. You have a computer at your house, don’t you?” L’s eyes followed him as he moved towards the end of the couch, then they lingered on his piece of cake, beginning once again to eat it. " I have others, though they're designated for destroying when I need to cover my tracks in cases."

“ Yes, and I’m assuming you want me to drop everything, go home, and research this?” Rowan snickered and leaned on the couch, and L nodded.

“ Rowan, it’s to find Light.” L's eyes stared intently at Rowan, and he leaned a bit to the side as he spoke with him.

“ After all that Light’s mere presence is doing to Adrian, do you think I want to find him?”

L stayed silent, staring at the half-eaten piece of cake for a minute or so. In this time, Rowan contentedly waited for an answer.

“ I know you both hate him, though you more silently than Adrian. I’m not careful enough with emotions nor do I easily understand them. And apparently, I deal with vampires as I dealt with humans.” He looked up, “ do I have to bribe you, Rowan?”

“ Forget it, L. I’m not doing it,” Rowan said, crossing his arms, crumpling the note in his fist and shoving it in his pocket. “ I’m over a thousand years old. You have no right force me to do anything.”

“ You can have a piece of cake.”

“ L, I made you that cake.”

“ I have no other ideas of what I can bribe you with.”

“ Exactly, because you can’t.” Rowan gave a small snicker, “ any other words?”

L gave a sigh, “ I knew I would have to use this tactic someday." His monotonousness when he said so was as vaguely scolding. " There is a 60% chance that something has happened to Light considering he’s not back yet. It goes up 5% by the hour. I might be worried about him. But as you know-”

“ You're not good with emotions,” Rowan said, “ which is why I’m going to go and-”

“ I’ll tell Adrian.” 

       Silence lingered for a few moments, L staring purposefully at Rowan and Rowan looking confused for a few moments, his arms slowly unfolding. He balanced on another foot and tilted his head. In that moment, he seemed to know exactly what L meant, yet his inquisitive glance lingered on L. He pretended to be more confused, though his intent was more to verify what L was referring too. “ About what?”

“ The fact that Kira wasn’t the one who killed his uncle.”

Rowan’s face fell, it was what he feared. His arms unfolded, going down to his sides and forming clenched fists. He looked off to a side as though he could not meet L's judgmental and knowing stare. “ How would you-”

“ Powers of deduction, Rowan.” L looked at him, “ you didn’t like the fact that Adrian’s Uncle was going to take him away from the city.”

Rowan’s eyes widened with fear, “ L, don’t-”

“ Take him away from you. Your motive was 60% then.”

Though it was certain there was no way to convince L of a lie, Rowan tried in vain either way, leaning forward a bit. “ L, it’s not…”

“ It increased to 70% the more and more you read the letters. 5% when Adrian seemed excited about it, and 3% as the day for his release date grew near.” L looked unforgivably and unwavering in his deductions as he stared Rowan in the eyes. “ And then it went to 100%. You’re talented at hiding your tracks, Rowan.”

Rowan gulped, despite the fact his mouth had since run dry. “ You…you figured that out already?”

“ Yes,” L said, looking back at his piece of cake. “ It was easy. I remembered how you taught Adrian how to cover his tracks when feeding, where no evidence would be left behind. They blamed Kira because he was a high class criminal, and Kira would have been the only one to murder without leaving any evidence. It was natural for police, without my agreement, to dismiss cases as Kira-related. Many cases that were brought to my attention, in fact, I had dismissed due to having no relations to Kira when the SPK was off duty in the beginnings of the case. Eventually, they stopped sending them to me within a few weeks as they knew I would rule them as not caused by Kira. When I remember some of their traits, I now believe that I can conclude that they were caused by vampires. Had I believed vampires existed at the time, perhaps I would have brought the cases to attention of my former successors. Nonetheless, I had filed them unworthy of our attention at the time due to how many of them there were and their irrelevancy to withstanding evidence, yet I kept them in mind. But I know that it would be highly unlikely for Kira to kill Adrian's uncle-when I assessed it, it was one of the many cases that I had out ruled, one of many that was closed as being Kira related yet wasn't. You had motive and incentive, the murder has traits of being vampire related, and all of my deductions point to you. “

“ L…” Rowan remained silent, his eyes darkening. “ Adrian…can never know. His uncle would have exploited him…he didn’t know how dangerous it would have been. Criminals do not change. I can agree with Light on at least that, L. If I didn’t kill his uncle, Adrian could have gotten killed or worse. Adrian is mine-I won‘t let anything happen to him.”

“ No contrary evidence,” L said nonchalantly before his voice turned intent, “ you’d kill anyone who threatened you and Adrian. Behind your niceness, behind your love and passions….there is a beast that dwells there, Rowan. A beast that would break out and kill. But I know you wouldn’t kill me. It’d be too obvious, all of these important people in Adrian’s life disappearing….I didn’t teach him much, but he has a high enough IQ to figure it out. Sometimes I barely knew he existed. He loved L…all the kids were taught to revere L…except three. But the third had a reason. So there was two.”

“ Successors,” Rowan said with a small scoff. “ Adrian was nothing to you…”

“ That point is highly redundant now. He is now like my brother, he proved himself. Many of his individual traits showed up when he got older. I think that’s all he ever really needed…to prove himself away from the others,” L’s eyes were fixed on the plate. “ You gave him the push ahead, Rowan.”

“ I would give him anything,” Rowan said with a softness in his voice as he glared downwards, his fists still clenched.

“ I know you would,” L said. “ But all in all, bringing me back was for his own fulfillment. Keeping me around is proof of said fulfillment, yet even still, he has become one of my only friends.”

Rowan looked up at L, “ and I suppose that if I don’t look up these hotels and this jail…then you’ll tell Adrian that I killed his uncle.”

“ Precisely, but I assumed that was implied.”

“ Fine, L.” Rowan looked down, his fists clenching more and his eyes floating downwards regretfully towards his pocket. “ I’ll go…”

“ Go now,” L said as he began to eat the cake again. Rowan looked up blankly, turned, and walked away. He slammed the door behind him, and L looked towards it as Adrian’s bedroom door opened. He yawned and tilted his head slightly.

“ Hey L, where’s Rowan?”

“ He left to do an assignment for me.”

“ Oh, okay,” Adrian walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator. “ Did he make you breakfast?”

“ Yes,” L said, turning towards him.

“ Okay,” Adrian said with a hint of cheerfulness in his voice as he turned to the stove, wielding two eggs in hand. “ Do you want some coffee?”

“ Yes,” L said, returning to his cake and finishing the last piece of it. Adrian watched him, gave a small smile, then began to turn on the stove.

 

          “ Whatcha lookin’ up Rowan?” Rowan’s mother, whom was in the midst of her weekendly hangover, turned into the surprisingly neat living room in her faded pink robe and silk pajamas, worn by many years. She sat on a reclining chair by the wall gently, sipping at a large cup of black coffee.

“ Nothing,” Rowan said, turning to her with a look of nurture. “ How’s the headache?”

“ A bitch, but it is to be expected,” she took another long sip of the coffee. “ Why’ve you been at Adrian and L’s house for so long?”

“ They’ve been having…troubles, I suppose.” She tilted her head, her messed brown hair going off to one side and obscuring her bright blue eyes. “ Eh? What kind? You want some of my buddies to bust ‘em up?”

“ No,” Rowan said, turning in the steel green chair back to the computer. “ Just…things, I guess.” He looked guiltily as he looked at the hotels, searching for transactions on L’s credit card simultaneously. His eyes lost their nurturing light and turned regretful.

“ Oh?” She said with a wobbly voice, “ you sure you don’t want my friends to bust em’ up?”

“ Yes,” Rowan said with a hint of frustration as he straightened his hands and jerked them up and down. “ I’m fine! Just…go into bed and drink some more coffee.” He gave a small sigh and turned to her, but she was already leaving.

“ You need to learn how to stop yelling…” she grumbled as she turned the corner and began to go up the staircase.

Rowan turned back to the computer, squinting. “ Alright you criminal killing bastard…where the hell did you go…”

 

         Light was laying in bed, his hands wobbling profusely on the keyboard, his coughs burning his lungs and blurring his vision. He looked up at the ceiling, lying flat on his stomach again. His eyes darted from side to side…in the mirror, he could faintly see faces…but who’s were they?

“ Heey, Light.” Light turned his face again to see the gleaming eyes of the beast that loomed over him. “ Didn’t forget me, did you? You had a good run, kid. But now this continuation is just sad…I really thought someone as interesting as L could do better with you.” The beast’s husky voice pierced through Light’s ears.

“ Ryuk…” Light said, “ Ryuk, help me…”

“ Sorry, no can do Light. Why should I?” Ryuk chuckled as his wings beat steadily, keeping pace above Light. “ You’re nothing more than a washed up criminal trying to relive his glory days when his glory days are long since dead.” Ryuk tilted his head, “ you don’t get what all of this is about, do you?” Light shook his head to the best of his ability. “ You need blood, Light. It’s as simple as that. Your targeting took too long…man, did you get rusty.” Ryuk laughed coldly again. 

“ T-There are…” Light coughed and gasped, “ too many criminals....in the world, since Kira left…”

“ Eh? That wouldn’t have stopped the god that you wanted to become?” Ryuk tilted his head slightly, the ear-piece dangling. Light’s eyes focused on it. “ You’re just some washed up vampire with a dream of becoming a god…”

“ Ryuk…” Light coughed again, “ you were never-”

“ Didn’t I always-well, most of the time-tell you the truth, what I thought, right? This is the truth now, Light. This is what you are, and this is what you will be.” Ryuk chuckled and flipped around, hovering on the side of the bed. Abruptly, the door opened, and L walked in, uncharacteristically wearing a thick windbreaker.

“ _Shinigami…._ ” L said, looking at Ryuk and giving him an affirmative nod.

“ I have to hand it to you L, you’re creating a more boring story than I thought…” Ryuk said, mocking a yawn. “ I suppose you have what I think you have?”

“ Yes, and I deduced you’d be here.” L opened the windbreaker’s jacket, pulling out two bags of blood and a rusty pocket knife. He cut the bag opened and put it to Light’s mouth. “ It was taken at 8 o’clock this morning…still fresh enough, just enough to give you some adrenaline to complete your kill,” L said, looking back at Ryuk with a frantic glance.

“ Whoa there, L. I’ve never seen you this nervous…” Ryuk laughed, “ maybe I was wrong. Maybe this will turn out interesting.”

        Light could feel his eyes slowly clearing, and his throat feeling better when it was slicked with the blood. He had enough energy to sit and take the blood from L to drink it. When he finished, he greedily took the bag that was on the bed and drank it more quickly.

“ The donors are still alive,” L said, “ so you don’t have to care about-”

“ Get me to my prey, L,” Light demanded, the gleam in his eyes changing rapidly. “ Help me find him.”

“ What?”

“ My plan can more easily be carried out by two.”

“ No…” L backed away from Light and more towards Ryuk as Light sat up, then stood.

“ You can be a more minor god, and I the supreme god of the new world.” He walked towards L, a dark look in his eyes, his movements stiff as he did so. “ Join me, L.”

L moved away frantically, passing through Ryuk as though he was a hologram. Light followed shortly after, going closer until L reached the wall. “ Together, we can be Gods of the New World!” Light’s insane smile held darkness, a darkness unobtainable by man and beast. He was far beyond fathomable in the darkness of his mind-shrouded in a darkness with an evil too strong to be classified as pure evil. At the sharp corners, it also held a glimmer of lies and deceit. Scenarios ran through L’s mind; he turned away, his arms spread slightly as his fingers arched, his fingertips touching the wall. He could see the deceit, he knew of the lies. Yet he trusted Light…why had be brought this evil back into the world? Perhaps…because he thought it could change? Perhaps because he thought that it would wan? Perhaps he thought that somewhere in the depths of what used to be a soul, there was an ounce of penitence in Light. Maybe…maybe it was simply because of love, a broken heart, revenge…the motive for so many things in the world. But in this case, all motives drew to one person, including that of revenge. L knew it, and somewhere in his mind, he accepted it. Behind them, a dark chuckle was uttered. Ryuk…death was laughing. But as Light drew closer…L stayed, looking Kira in the eyes, confronting what he had thought was dead, what he thought he could stop. Kira gave a chuckle, then a loud laugh, pressing up against L and kissing him passionately. Yet L didn’t turn away from Light, in that moment, the tension dissolved a bit, and L sheepishly wrapped his arms around Light, whom pushed him more against the wall. When Kira pulled away, he looked into L’s eyes, one simple request leaving the mouth of Kira.

“ L…will you join me?”

                                                                                         And Death continued to laugh.


	8. "You are not god."

        L woke up, almost believing that he was at home. Yet, he was not. He had awoken in a very dark hotel room with tan walls, a neatly kept table, a microwave, a minifridge, and a large TV. The white sheets were warm and soft, and in the room he could ever so faintly sense Light. Yet when he turned, Light was no longer there, and suddenly L felt venerable and unsafe. There was a deep chuckling in the corner. Ryuk, whom had left the room, had appeared back again, this time sitting near the windows with the tightly closed curtains. “ And what are you going to do about him, L?” Ryuk inquired, his head tilted up slightly. “ He left before you even woke up, just to go out and do the one thing that you’d wanted to stop years ago. And you must be thinking to yourself, was it all really worth it?” Ryuk chuckled, “ well L, was it really worth it?”

“ I don’t know, Ryuk,” L said with a sigh. “ I do not know.”

           

            The blood tasted better than anything Light had ever tasted in his human life. It glided over his tongue warmly, flowing into his throat warmly, yet not burning. The screams of criminal had long since faded, and Light had lost track of time. The blood almost sent him into a state of euphoria, stronger than what he had gotten from writing names in the Death Note, almost as strong as what he felt with L…it was amazing. When he had finished the criminal off, the body, discolored, it’s flesh deflated on bone, muscle, and organs, lay near him. He licked the blood off of his lips, and looked toward the camera with full knowledge that it would not see him. “ I am god,” he said vehemently to it even though no one would see. “ I, am, god.” He ran out of the cell quickly, running down the hallway and out. He jumped out of one of the windows, landing on the ground. He had plummeted several feet and the ground’s rush towards him did not affect him. He landed on his feet and kept running, running towards the hotel where L was.

 

         L had never seen Light so happy. The smile was widespread on his face, his eyes seemed to glow with pure, overjoyed euphoria. He jumped onto the bed like a small child and kissed L, and when L looked off to the side, Ryuk had left. Light continued to kiss L, and smiled down at him. “ I am god,” he said before continuing to kiss L. L pulled away and moved Light over a bit.

“ You are not god,” L said bitterly, “ you’re just a vampire who likes the fact that he has to drink blood. You’re just normal.”

“ I am god,” Light insisted, pulling himself onto L and looking into his eyes.

“ No you aren’t,” L said, kissing him harshly to catch him off-guard and roll him onto his back. To his surprise, it worked. Light looked up at him, and before he could blink, L was below him again. L groaned and sighed, “ I know your every weakness, Light.” L tried to move his hand, but Light grabbed him, and L used that opportunity to roll him onto his back again, this time making him remain still. “ I know that you can become Light again someday.” L kissed Light hard, and L pushed him off roughly, rolling him off the bed and onto the floor, on top of L.

“ You should love Kira,” Light hissed, “ if you truly loved Light, you’d admit to Kira.” He tried to fight against the grip of L's hands, yet he couldn't.

“ And become a member of the seething mass that you believe will come back to worship you?” L hissed back, “ truly Light, none of your crimes are going to get to the media. There are too many vampires for that to ever happen. You are not Kira, you are not god. You’re just a washed up vampire-” L froze. Light pushed himself up, his teeth had clasping down on L's neck. L gasped and tried to throw Light off, successfully doing so. He stood quickly, and so did Light, standing across from him. L hissed and rushed at Light, biting his neck as well, only applying more pressure than Light had. Once it was done, L wiped the blood from his mouth. Light staggered weakly, looking at L with a look of betrayal. “ LEAVE.” The scream to each other pierced the air in unison, the tension from such a blow hanging cold and lifeless in the air like a marionette without its handler. After this, their mouths hung open slightly, much like a broken marionette. A few seconds past, one more quickly than the next, then the two rushed at each other, bodies close, their arms wrapped around each other, and their mouths intertwined with both the lingering fight and apology. In truth, their relationship had always been more comparable to an ongoing argument in which there was no winner than it had ever been to star-crossed lovers. And even after death, this had never changed.

 

            Below Rowan was the sound of a noisy party, the music vibrating gently off of the wooden floorboards and reaching up into his room. Rowan’s room was simple, it was of pale blue walls, an oak chest of drawers with a mirror atop it, an opened closet, a plain window with white curtains. It seemed simple when one walked in, yet even simple things held a refined beauty to them. Rowan laid flat on his bed beneath his white cotton bed sheets, looking at the ceiling and staring at the darkness in his room. If he laid still enough, he could slowly feel himself melting into the darkness around him, becoming one with the night, slowly….there was a tap on the window. Rowan ignored it for a minute yet grimaced as it broke his concentration. It was probably just another alley cat that was ushering itself onto the fire escape in order to keep itself away from the cold. Rowan usually put out insulated boxes and food for them to sleep in, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were wandering at night. Yet again, the tap at the window came. Rowan sighed, turning his head, and jumping a bit with shock. Adrian was curled up, his face looking eagerly in the window. Rowan got up immediately and opened the window, allowing Adrian in. Adrian went in through the window and sat on Rowan’s bed as Rowan closed the window gently. Rowan looked back at Adrian, whom was already curled underneath his blankets. Rowan smiled and went over to him, “ why are you here and why didn’t you use the front door?”

“ Are you really going to ask me questions,” Adrian said as Rowan went to the other side of the bed, curling up against Adrian.

“ No,” Rowan said, wrapping his arms around Adrian and kissing his cheek. “ I just wanted to see if you’d actually tell me. You usually don‘t come to my house…”

“ You shouldn’t have to deal with your Mom’s shit,” Adrian sighed, “ and I hate being reminded that this is the place that you always have to come back to.”

“ Oh Adrian, it isn’t really that bad,” Rowan offered, nuzzling his neck. “ All she does is party-”

There was a sound of feet coming up the stairs, giggling, running down the hall, then a door slamming.

“ Exactly,” Adrian complained, “ all she does is party, then she leaves you to clean up all of her messes, kick out one-night stand lovers, and help cure her hangovers. It’s not fair, Rowan, it-”

Rowan cut him off with a passionate kiss, then gently pulled away. “ Oh? And is L going AWOL and loving the one man that you hated most in the world? Is it fair that he has to live with you?” Rowan’s voice was wobbly, L’s words were ringing in his head. _It was me, Adrian._ He thought to himself bitterly, _me and my selfishness. But I have to have you. I have to. I built you up like a fort and no one would knock you down. No one…._

“ That isn’t fair either,” Adrian sounded a bit hurt. “ But I can kick out L any time.”

“ But you wouldn’t.”

“ Just because I can doesn’t mean that I would,” Adrian said thoughtfully, “ and you could leave her, Rowan. I know that you could just walk out one day, get your own place and never look back.”

“ But I won’t,” Rowan said, curling even more against Adrian and closing his eyes.

“ I’m just scared, Rowan.”

“ Why?”

“ What if he kills L again?”

“ Oh Adrian…”

“ You know it’s a possibility. You know…”

“ I know, I know,” Rowan nodded and Adrian’s eyes welled with tears.

“ Yet he’s always going after him, always. I know I shouldn’t care especially after what happened to my brothers but, it’s just so hard not to care about him. He’s the only one other than you that I have left,” Adrian cried, turning and holding Rowan desperately. “ I can’t live without either of you…I’m just scared, Rowan. I’m just scared that what I have is going to get taken away.”

“ Hush…” Rowan comforted, holding him closer. “ It’ll be alright…” Rowan looked past Adrian’s shoulder, focusing on the now closed window.

 

 _There are just some things that are not meant to be. Am I going to be trapped like this forever, half-love, half-fighting?_ L wondered as he looked up at the ceiling. Light had fallen asleep near him, a gentle sound of his snoring emerging across the room. L sighed, turning towards Light. _Do I want to leave or not? Most people seldom leave things like this…sometimes they just close their eyes and hope that things will get better, or that things will simply fade away. Have I become one of those people? I suppose that I always have been. Oh Adrian…you just wanted to make things better, and this is the payment that I give you. I can never tell you who truly committed that crime, it would devastate you and Rowan, then Rowan would want to kill me…I can’t do that. I’ve ruined many lives just to satisfy my unquenchable hunger for justice, and I won’t ruin your life just to make mine more comfortable, Adrian. I can’t…I’m just stuck in this trap, this trap of addicting love…_ he looked over to Light again, _I could kill you easily. I really could, and no one would ever find your body. After all, you’re already dead._ L curiously felt the bite marks that Light had left on his neck in their fight. He’d left several more, yet that seemed to lack important at the moment. He felt the first one with the pads of his fingers, and a small hint of pain came from it as well as burning. He should really address the wounds, but he didn’t. The person who cleaned this room would wonder why ink was spilled all over the sheets…but that was not ink. Vampire’s blood was the color of ink. If only they knew….L sighed and shivered, going beneath the sheets more and moving closer to Light. He slowly wrapped his arms around Light frame, pulling him close to feel his warmth and sinking his head into Light‘s shoulder where L’s bite marks had gone in. He took a few breaths, smelling the cologne faintly on Light and feeling the hard bulk of his shoulder beneath his cheek. L had not cried for a long time, in fact, he did not remember. Had he cried about Light? It did not matter…it seemed like an eternity. The hot feel of tears welling beneath his eyes felt alien, almost as though he had forgotten them. His breathing husked, and he cried onto Light’s shoulder while Light himself was passively deep within his own dream world, the world of Kira, the only one that he had dreamt about for so many years. _But more than anything, Light…I love you._

 

          Light was standing in a field of red flowers in the dream. He had not recognized the place he was in, but the sky was dark above him, the red flowers almost seeming to glow a bit in the darkness. He looked down at them with discontent, yet he had no idea why. He didn’t have many ideas more but too- _KILL._ The word rose and shattered through the land, rocking where Light stood. “ Kira was not about death,” Light said vehemently. “ Kira was about creating justice in the world.” _KILL._ The word rose again, shaking the land more this time. Light lost his balance and fell onto the soft petals of the flowers as well as their thorny stems. The stems and leaves curled around Light, ripping his shirt and making him bleed…why had he used the word was? Kira was still alive…Kira was him… _KILL._ The thorns wrapped around him more, and despite his eyes tearing from the pain, he emitted a groan, not a scream. The thorns seemed to be pulling him under… _KILL. KILL. KILL._ The word got louder and louder till Light believed it was almost impossible for him to hear. The thorns stabbed through his head, coming out of his eyes. From a different view, he watched himself fade underneath the thorns, becoming apart of this macabre meadow. He was going upwards towards the darkened sky…the meadow was fading into a sea of red color, almost like blood. The cold sky embraced him, smarting the wounds that still lingered from the flowers. He hissed, and faced upwards, facing a blinding light that forced him to close his eyes. “ Light.” Light froze, tensing upwards. Kira…Kira is what had fallen beneath the thorny sea of red flowers…now, now he felt like he had been before…before Kira…

“ Light.” The voice was a mixture. One voice was of his Father’s, a man that he’d idolized throughout his long since departed youth, and L, the man…the man whom he what? Loved, idolized, hated, feared? Who was L? Was he simply L Lawliet, a departed victim of Kira? No, no he had to be more than that…and what as his Father to him now? One that fell, one that never would know that he had spawned Kira, which he rose to fight by died…died doing what? What had his Father died for? He had died for the justice…or what he believed was justice…but Kira, Kira was justice, so why did he-

“ Light.” The voice sounded more like his Father’s. It sounded more stern, ebbed with anger as though Light had done something very, very wrong.

“ Light.” L’s voice was filled with hatred, pure loathing, as though he had figured out the one person whom he’d loved most had betrayed him.

“ Light.” The two voices mixed again, and he felt something hot bathing him. Something hot…it got warmer and warmer, intensifying to the sharp and acute pain of burning. He was burning, and he cried out, unable to keep his dignity against the pain anymore. He seemed to be laying in a meadow of flames…beside him was a steady and evil laugh.

“ Light,” the voice was playful-Misa. Misa…

“ Light.” The voice was full of hatred. Mikami.

“ You are not god,” the voice above Light said, the voice that had been a mix between Light and his Father. “ You are not god.”

“ You had your fun,” the voice that was a mix between Mikami and Misa said.

“ You played god…but you are not.”

“ I…am…god…”

“ No, you are Light Yagami, just another soul in hell.”


End file.
